BOSTON – So when the Red Sox lose the DH spot tomorrow night in St. Louis, maybe David Ortiz should play left field.

Why not? The Sox were whistling past the graveyard after their Game 1 victory, cracking jokes about how bad their defense was. Despite four errors, Boston outslugged St. Louis, 11-9.

Of his team’s defensive play, manager Terry Francona said, “That was not an instructional video.”

Left fielder Manny Ramirez told teammates he went from a “Silver Glove” to a “Purple Glove” after consecutive eighth-inning errors. First baseman Kevin Millar joked his fourth-inning throw intended for third base “almost hit [Tony] La Russa – and he was standing in the on-deck circle.”

Only one of the Cardinals’ runs was unearned in Game 1, but Boston committed 118 errors in the regular season, the fourth highest total in the American League.

None of the Red Sox players thought a trend was developing, however, and Francona disagreed with the premise that players were trying to do too much defensively.

Boston only committed one error in the ALCS and one in the ALDS.

“It’s going to be tough if we go out and play sloppy, but it was a weird game and it’s probably not going to happen again,” said Boston closer Keith Foulke, who pitched out of an eighth-inning jam caused by Ramirez.

Millar, who will either move to right field or come off the bench when the series shifts to St. Louis, is widely considered a below-average defender. But Ortiz is even worse, which leads you to wonder what will happen in Busch Stadium.

Millar committed a terrible throwing miscue that forced home a run in the fourth, cutting off Trot Nixon’s throw home and then firing wildly in the direction of third base.

Problem was, Reggie Sanders was practically at third already. Millar’s throw landed in the dugout and was part of a three-run inning that allowed St. Louis to recover from a 7-2 deficit.

“I shouldn’t have thrown the ball,” Millar said. “I didn’t have the grip.

Millar was sure the defense would improve.

“We were sloppy, but we were fortunate to get a win,” Millar said after Game 1. “Because you don’t want to give the Cardinals extra outs like we did.”